Seven F-T Sales Grads Nominated for Eclipse Awards

Once again in 2017, Fasig-Tipton graduates have proved themselves the cream of the crop, with seven grads nominated for Eclipse Awards. The seven finalists, all from Fasig-Tipton selected yearling sales, are nominated across five categories.

SONGBIRDGraduate: 2014 Saratoga Sale
Finalist: Champion Older Mare

An Eclipse Champion at two and three, Saratoga Sale graduate Songbird kicked off her four-year-old campaign in June at Belmont Park, where she captured the Ogden Phipps S. (G1) by a length over a field that included eventual Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) victress Bar of Gold; Grade 1 winner and multiple graded stakes winner Carina Mia; and multiple graded stakes winners Paid Up Subscriber and Highway Star. Songbird followed that score with a length victory in the Delaware H. (G1) at Delaware Park, her second tally at the classic 1 ¼ mile distance. Following a neck defeat to eventual Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Forever Unbridled in the Personal Ensign S. (G1) at Saratoga, Songbird was retired from racing.

In her four-year-old campaign alone, Songbird won two of three starts and earned $980,000. Songbird’s final tally came to 13 wins and two seconds in 15 career starts, with total earnings of $3,692,000, in addition to her two Eclipse championships to date.

Her exceptional performances on the track at two, three, and four earned her similar marketplace appraisal: Songbird sold for $9,500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, the highest-priced thoroughbred sold at auction in 2017 and the second highest-priced broodmare prospect ever sold at public auction.

New York-Bred Sale graduate Mind Your Biscuits finished second by a neck in his four-year-old debut in the Gulfstream Park S. (G3) at Gulfstream Park in February, but used that run as a springboard to his richest score. In March, Mind Your Biscuits traveled to Saudi Arabia to contest the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) at the famed Dubai World Cup Carnival, a race he captured despite a six-wide move around the turn. Back stateside at Belmont Park, Mind Your Biscuits won going away from multiple graded stakes winners Awesome Slew and Tommy Macho. The New York-bred colt closed the 2017 season with a third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and a second in the Cigar Mile H. (G1).

In 2017, Mind Your Biscuits won two of six starts, placing in three others, and earned $1,713,800. A Grade 1 winner and multiple graded stakes winner at three in 2016, Mind Your Biscuits has six victories and nine placings from an impressive 19 career starts, with career earnings of $2,509,166 to date.

Saratoga Sale grad Bolt d’Oro drew away to win his late summer career debut in August and promptly followed up that score with two Grade 1 wins in September. Bolt d’Oro captured the Del Mar Futurity (G1) at Del Mar on September 4, then ran away with the FrontRunner S. (G1) at Santa Anita by nearly eight lengths on September 30. The two-year-old colt showed his courage and class in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar, racing seven wide through both turns and closing swiftly to finish third, ahead of Grade 1 winners Firenze Fire and Free Drop Billy and graded stakes winner The Tabulator.

Bolt d’Oro closed his juvenile season with three wins and a third from four starts and earnings of $576,000.

Undefeated two-year-old filly Rushing Fall is a graduate of the 2016 Saratoga Sale. She debuted in September, racing wide throughout to win over subsequent graded stakes winner Daddy Is a Legend. In October, Rushing Fall rolled to victory by more than three lengths in the Jessamine S. (G3) at Keeneland. She followed up that success with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar, racing wide throughout and pulling away gamely from a field of 13 other fillies, including seven European invaders.

Rushing Fall was undefeated in three starts at two and earned $685,000.

Stellar Wind, a two-time Fasig-Tipton graduate and Eclipse Champion Filly at three, carried her form successfully in 2017. With characteristic determination, Stellar Wind opened her season with a victory in the Apple Blossom H. (G1) at Oaklawn Park, followed up by a win in the Beholder Mile S. (G1) at Santa Anita over last out Grade 1 winner Vale Dori (ARG) and reigning Eclipse Champion Female Sprinter Finest City. A month later, Stellar Wind bested Vale Dori again, this time in the Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1) at Del Mar.

Stellar Wind won three of four starts in 2017 for earnings of $800,000. Stellar Wind has won 10 of 16 career starts to date for total earnings of $2,253,200.

Saratoga Sale grad Battle of Midway broke his maiden first out in January of his three-year-old season. Jumping up in class, Battle of Midway finished third in the San Vicente S. (G2) three weeks later at Santa Anita, before scoring in an allowance at the same track just three weeks after that. In his next two starts, Battle of Midway finished second a half-length to now multiple Grade 1 winner Gormley in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April and third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Over the summer, Battle of Midway captured victories in the Affirmed S. (G3) at Santa Anita and the Shared Belief S. at Del Mar before running second in the Oklahoma Derby (G3) at Remington Park, his final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Championships.

In the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Del Mar, Battle of Midway passed foes five-wide midway through the second turn and fought valiantly through the stretch to hit the wire ahead of then-or-subsequent Grade 1 winners Sharp Azteca, Practical Joke, Mor Spirit, and Cupid.

Battle of Midway won five of 10 career starts, placing four times, for total earnings of $1,249,949.

Moonshine Memories, a graduate of the 2016 Saratoga Sale, made her debut a winning one in August when she dispatched heavily favored Tyfosha by a length to win a maiden special weight at Del Mar. The filly rushed immediately to the top of her class a month later with a game win in the Del Mar Debutante S. (G1), which she promptly followed up with a convincing victory in the Chandelier S. (G1) at Santa Anita.

Moonshine Memories won three of four starts at two and has earned $426,000 to date.